we were talking about this issue, 47 people were being rounded up by immigration and customs enforcement officials in arizona. they re expected to appear in federal courts in one of the largest-ever human smuggling busts. our casey wian reports from phoenix. reporter: they appear to be mom and pop businesses, operating shuttle vans between border towns and major cities in arizona, but they re allegedly part of a confederation of illegal immigrant smuggling rings according to immigration and customs enforcement. this is the largest human smuggling operation i.c.e. has ever conducted and i m quite confident at end of the day we will have dealt a very strong and severe blow to the alien smuggling industry here in arizona and along the southwest border. reporter: hundred of agents from nine federal and local law enforcement agencies fanned out across the state thursday arresting more than 40 criminal suspects and shutting down several businesses. here s how investigators say the huma
dozens of arrests across arizona. cnn s casey wian is tracking it all for us from tucson. casey, what s going on over there? reporter: well, wolf, until this morning, this business you see behind me was offering $25 shuttle bus rides between the border town of douglas, arizona, and here in tucson. also between tucson and phoenix. federal law enforcement authorities shut it down this morning. they say it s connected to a massive illegal immigrant smuggling ring. they appear to be mom and pop businesses operating shuttle vans between border towns and major cities in arizona. but they re allegedly part of a confederation of illegal immigrant smuggling rings, according to immigration and customs enforcement. this is the largest human smuggling operation i.c.e. has ever conducted. i m quite confident at the end of the day we will have dealt a very strong and severe below to